


Even

by NikkiTe



Category: Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M, Prince of Tennis - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-06 02:05:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6733579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikkiTe/pseuds/NikkiTe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Exploring how a plausible relationship between Echizen, Tezuka, Fuji, Sanada, Atobe, and Yukimura could start, and also detail the troubles they will go through in high school and beyond. </p><p>Still undecided if this will be an ot5 or an ot6 in the end because I am a fan of both.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Even

**Author's Note:**

> As this is an ot5/6 fanfic, I will not dwell too much on how each individual pairing came about. I usually do lengthy relationship development, but i didn't want to make this too long and too dragging so I can give one pair one chapter.

Part 1.Echizen and Tezuka.

Echizen was a smug little prince in the eyes of most people. What most of them didn't see is the amount of hard work he puts into his training. He may be a gifted child, but he didn't get this far by just natural borne skills alone. He worked hard to hone his skills, sharpen his senses, increase his speed and power. 

His father knew from the very start that he wasn't a power player. Even if he was, he would never rise up in the world if he took that route. Build wise, a tiny Asian man was no match for the bigger builds of European men. But he had other weapons that he could hone - speed, technique, and a sharp and quick wit. Reading opponents has become almost second nature to him since he had started playing tennis with people other than his father. Echizen Nanjiro was probably the only person he could not read. 

That was until he met his captain. 

For a boy like Echizen, whose whole world was tennis, meeting and falling in love with Tezuka Kunimitsu was out of the equation. It was not part of the plan, and it had no place in his tennis. 

But, like most boys his age, falling in love was something he had zero control over. It was also something he did not recognize, mistaking the stupid butterflies in his stomach to be the beginning signs of indigestion. Except that they always, always, occured whenever Tezuka's deep brown eyes were fixed on him. When Tezuka was looking at him, the symptons got worse. His palms would turn sweaty and his heart was beating so hard it seemed like it would burst. 

In the end, Echizen had researched online, because he didn't want to alarm anyone into thinking he was sick. He researched on the many specific gastro intestinal sicknesses he could find and found none that matched his symptoms. But he could find none.

Nothing made sense and he was so worried. Until Momoshiro started mouthing off about his feelings for Tachibana Anne, one time as they made their way home from practice.

He almost choked on his ponta as they walked when Momoshiro mouthed off each of his symptoms one by one and ended with "I must be in love!" at the end. Good thing, the second year didn't notice his reaction as he was still in cloud nine, thinking of his crush on Tachibana's sister. 

In love huh?

Echizen sighed as he threw the now empty can of ponta down into the trash can situated beside the vending machine. His first love, was a man. He didn't mind that Tezuka was a guy. Being a young boy naive to the ways of the world, he really didn't know much about the repurcussions of being in a same sex relationship. He did mind, however, that the object of his affections was another boy who expressed less emotions than a tree trunk. Also, a man who defeated him, a man who commanded his respect more than anyone else did.

Why did he have to fall in love with his buchou of all people? 

"You seem to be deep in thought?"

Echizen nearly jumped when he heard the gentle voice of their resident tensai. When did he get so close?

Fuji, with his unreadable smile leaned his shoulder against the cool surface of the vending machine and cocked his head to the side. "You don't usually have such a serious expression Echizen."

"Mada mada dane," Echizen said, hoping that skipping around the question would get Fuji off his trail. 

But Fuji wasn't taking any of it. "You're thinking of something." Then his eyes followed Echizen's train of sight, followed it to where Tezuka was standing, and the blue eyed tensai's smile grew fonder. "Talk to him."

"To who? I don't know what you're talking about Fuji sempai."

Then Echizen felt gentle but firm hands planted on the small of his back, giving him a gentle push. "You'll never know unless you ask," Fuji said gently as he pushed Echizen again. 

But Echizen kept his feet planted on the ground. No he wasn't moving. He wouldn't confess! He had just found out what it was he was feeling, and he needed some time! 

"Not talking to anyone!" Echizen hissed, cheeks turning slightly pink at the mere thought of letting Tezuka know of his feelings. He kept his feet planted. But who knew Fuji had this strength in him? with every push, he was slowly pushing Echizen away from the vending machines. 

"Fuji, Echizen, what's going on?" 

Echizen's cries came to a complete stop and Fuji's hands left his back. 

"Ah, Tezuka," Fuji's voice seemed all innocent as he turned around to face the taller brunette. "Echizen wanted to talk to you, so I'll be on my way," he said as he turned and winked at Echizen before leaving. 

Echizen could swear his face was as red as a tomato right now. Why. Just why did Fuji have to interfere?

As Fuji walked away, Echizen could feel Tezuka's silent stare on him, piercing through his cap.No matter how much he hid, or wanted to hide,there was no hiding from Tezuka's gaze. He wished the ground would swallow him up. He opened his lips, the genius rookie at a loss for words as he tried and failed to come up with anything.

However, it seemed like he didn't need to break the ice as Tezuka beat him to the punch. 

"If Fuji is bothering you, I can tell him to stop."

Echizen shook his head. "I... Fuji sempai wasn't bothering me," he said softly, thankful that his mouth was cooperating this time at least. The butterflies were back, and it was worse than before. Before he only felt sick, but now, it was worse, he felt like he would throw up and he could feel his knees shake and start to give. If this was what being in love felt like, maybe he didn't want it anymore.

"Then, what happened?" Tezuka asked. If Echizen wasn't as concerned with his own nervousness and nausea, he would have picked up on the softer tone that Tezuka'S voice was taking. This wasn't his captain voice, far from it. 

Echizen dug his foot into the ground. He didn't know what to say! His lips had worked before but now it was being uncooperative again and refused to work no matter how many times he tried to.Seconds stretched to minutes, and minutes seemed to stretch to hours, and neither boy spoke. 

When Echizen felt like it had stretched far longer than what he was comfortable with, he opened his lips again, but again, like before Tezuka beat him to the punch.

The taller boy let out a soft sigh. "Tell me when you're ready."

They were already in this position. There was no way Echizen would ever have this opportunity ever again. If he didn't do anything Tezuka would walk away. If he didn't do anything, maybe.... maybe Fuji had a point. He wouldn't know what Tezuka felt for him, what he thought of Echizen's feelings, if he didn't say it. He might be rejected, but he knew, at the very least, that his buchou would not ridicule him, and at least he would have closure right?

So he summoned up all his courage and forced the words out of his lips as Tezuka took a step back and away from him, perhaps to go back to watching over the team practice. 

"I like you!" he blurted out, his hands clenched into fists at his side. He didn't dare look up. He didn't dare see the look that Tezuka had right now. But because he didn'T look, he missed the surprised look that the taller boy had, and missed the way it mellowed down into a gentler expression.

Echizen's heart was thudding so loud in his chest that he could hear nothing but that. He didn't even hear Tezuka's approaching footsteps. 

He only realized that his captain had come so close when he felt a gently hand cupping his cheek.

The younger boy blinked and he could feel his heart thudding even louder. he was expecting the same butterflies in his stomach to overwhelm him, but this time, he only felt a warmth that spread throughout his body, all from this singer touch. 

"Bu...buchou?" he asked, as his golden hazel eyes looked up to meet Tezuka's. 

"Yudan sezu ni yukou," Tezuka said softly as he petted Echizen's cheek gently. He then leaned down to press his lips on to the younger boy's cheek. "We need to be careful, especially in school." 

Echizen blinked again, clearly confused, even as his heart did a very big flip when he felt those firm lips on his cheek. "Does this... mean... do you...um... I think...."

Tezuka didn't pull away, instead, he moved his lips away from Echizen's cheek so he could press them firmly on to Echizen's. "It means I like you too Echizen Ryoma.


End file.
